The President of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio, has conferred the prestigious Grand Commander of the Order of the Rokel on Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Olufemi Oluyede.
Gatekeepers News reports that the honour was bestowed on the CDS during a colourful parade marking the 17th Armed Forces Day of the Republic of Sierra Leone, according to a statement issued on Thursday by the Director of Defence Information (DDI), Maj.-Gen. Samaila Uba.
Oluyede received the award in recognition of his role in securing peace and stability in Sierra Leone during his service under the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG).
According to the statement, the decoration also acknowledged the sacrifices of Nigerian officers and soldiers who contributed to Sierra Leone’s peace process.
While reading his citation, officials highlighted Oluyede’s service in ECOMOG, noting that he was deployed as a Platoon Commander at the residence of the then Sierra Leone Head of State between 1992 and 1994. During that period, he demonstrated leadership, dedication and an unwavering commitment to the stability of the government.
Other distinguished personalities from Nigeria, Guinea, the United Kingdom, the United States and Kenya were also honoured at the ceremony. They included former Nigerian CDS, Gen. Martin Luther Agwai (rtd); Lt.-Gen. Daniel Opande of Kenya (rtd); Lt.-Gen. Ibrahima Sory Bangoura of Guinea; Maj.-Gen. Paul Rogers of the USA; and Brig.-Gen. Edward Butler (rtd) of the UK.
UK, Germany Pledge Support Against Insecurity
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom and Germany have reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Nigeria’s fight against insecurity.
The pledge was made by their Defence Attachés, Brig. Tom Harper and Col. Boris Bovecamp, during a visit to the Headquarters of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) in Maiduguri.
During the visit, Brig. Harper underscored the enduring relationship between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, emphasising shared values of democracy, rule of law and human rights. He commended the Nigerian Armed Forces for their counter-terrorism operations in the North-East, particularly through Operation HADIN KAI, and expressed the UK’s readiness to expand training and assistance through the British Military Advisory Team (BMATT).
Similarly, Col. Bovecamp said Germany was exploring additional areas of collaboration, especially in capacity building and regional cooperation initiatives aimed at strengthening operational effectiveness in the fight against terrorism.
In response, the Theatre Commander of OPHK, Maj.-Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, praised the contributions of both the UK and German Defence Attachés to ongoing counter-insurgency efforts. He noted that their training programmes have enhanced the skills and operational readiness of troops confronting evolving security challenges in the theatre.
